The curse
by tabula rasa2
Summary: Cho and Michael were only the beginning of a very tedious trend in Harry's and Ginny's lives... (HG fluff, spoilers for OOTP)


Title: The curse  
Author: tabula rasa  
Summary: Cho and Michael were only the beginning of a very tedious trend in Harry's and Ginny's lives...   
Setting: Sometime in Harry's 7th year, at another ball (how cliche, I know, but stick with me, it just... fits. )  
Rating: hmm, G to PG, I think  
  
  
"I'm telling you, Harry, it's a curse."   
  
Ginny was sitting beside Harry, a morose expression on her pretty face. Harry felt inclined to agree with her. People were strolling around them, laughing with friends, flirting with their dates, dancing on the dancefloor and generally having the time of their lives. But once again, Harry was most definitely not enjoying himself. He didn't like balls - from past experiences he knew he was simply bound to have a miserable time of it.   
  
Well, at least this time around, he wasn't alone in this. Ginny was just as struck by this as he was. He could tell she was miffed - not so much because of what had happened as for the fact that it had happened yet *again*.   
  
Ginny seemed to have had that very same thought: "Do you know what the probability of this happening *again* is?"   
  
He didn't think she expected an answer, so he just kept silent and took a swig of his butterbeer.   
  
Unaffected, she continued her rant. "I mean... what's wrong with me? Am I really that bad at judging people? Everything seems so nice in the beginning - and then - pouff! - your girlfriend comes up and snatches my boyfriend away."   
  
His eyes snapped to her. "My girlfriend? Last I remember, it was Dean who snatched Susan away! And Neville was making googly eyes at Luna long before she dragged him to the dancefloor."   
  
Her scowl only deepened. "Whatever, Harry. The point is, this isn't normal!"  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it..."   
  
They both turned back to the dance floor, watching their now ex-better halfs Luna and Neville dance obliviously, lost in each other's gaze.   
  
"Well, they *do* make a cute couple. And he looks much happier with her than he ever looked with me." she admitted grudgingly.  
  
"Yeah. And at least she really seems to see him. Sometimes, I thought she was in a completely different dimension, you know?"   
  
"Yeah." Then, in a sullen tone: "Still, it's all your fault."  
  
"*My* fault?!" He turned to her in irrate disbelief.  
  
She didn't even blink an eye. "Of course it is. You're choosing the wrong girl, every time. She's bound to leave you sooner or later, because she's just not fit to be your girlfriend, once the first thrill is over. And then she's all too ready to go after *my* boyfriend."  
  
"Well, that's because *you* always choose the wrong boy every time. They're never strong enough to stick with you."  
  
That had obviously not gotten over well. "Excuse me?!" Now she was getting irritated with him. Great.  
  
He sighed, not wanting this to turn into a fight and continued, in a more composed manner. "I don't mean you're terrible, or something." When she seemed more curious than angry, he continued, somewhat haltingly, unsure of how to voice his thoughts on the matter. "You're just... so strong-willed and... well, you just have that *presence*, and you don't take any dirt from anyone. And you're so self-sufficient, you sometimes seem like you don't need anyone - as if you don't want anyone around. That's quite intimidating."  
  
"You make me sound like a cross-breed between a harpy and an amazon, Harry" She looked torn between being amused and indignant, but at least she was no longer angry, he noted with relief. Her gaze focussed on him. "And besides, what about you? You've got that whole "Boy who lived' thing going on - I bet it's hard being the girlfriend of a living legend. But me? I'm just plain Ginny - what's so scary about that?" She was back to being sullen.  
  
He frowned. "You're not scary. And you're definitely not 'just plain Ginny' - you're so much more." He stopped at the surprised and a bit flattered look on her face, feeling embarrassed. "All I'm saying is that your boyfriends so far just haven't been a match for you. You're... too much for them. And you *can* be quite intimidating, you know."   
  
She looked down, smiling slightly. "I don't mean to make that impression. It's just that I have to have my space sometimes, you know? And after my first year, I just won't take anyone trying to control me. I *do* want people around, it's just hard to... allow someone in, you know?"   
  
They sat there in silence for a while, until Ginny spoke up again. "So, it's like this: We're both of us facing the same problem, only, since we spend so much time together and have the same circle of friends, ergo, choosing our boyfriends and girlfriends from said circle of friends, we double the risk of losing our respective partner to the other's partner.... so, we're doubly cursed. Now, I don't see myself changing my circle of friends any more than you do, and I definitely don't want to stop being your friend or stop spending time with you, which means, things are going to stay the same." She paused, then turned to him. "You know what that means, Harry? We'll be alone forever! Our boyfriends and girlfriends are always going to run off together, since they simply can't handle us!"   
  
"Sounds terrible when you put it that way." he answered dryly.   
  
She sighed in exasperation and leaned her chin on her hand, amusement mixing with misery in her tone. "We should open a partner agency for our exes and charge them a fee for being the ones to bring them together. That way, we could at least get some money out of it."   
  
They both laughed. Then, as if he'd just thought of something, Harry added: "Or, we could just--" He broke off.   
  
She eyed him curiously. "What?"   
  
He seemed a little flustered and refused to look at her. "It's nothing, a stupid idea. A joke, really."   
  
She leaned back into her chair, turning fully to him. "Come on, you started it, now spill!"  
  
"Well, by all logic, we should be able to break the curse if we... well, if we get together. I mean, if you're my girlfriend, and I'm your boyfriend, there would be no way we could run after one another, since we're already together, right?"   
  
Her eyes twinkled as she joked teasingly. "Are you proposing something, Mr. Potter?"   
  
He laughed, obiously flustered, but determined not to show it. "I'm just saying! I mean, it does sound logical..."   
  
An appraising look came on her smiling face. "You know, it really does."   
  
They looked at each other for a long moment, then averted their gazes, slightly flushed and thrilled with the realization of this new possiblity.   
  
"But then, it would be too funny - you and me together." She laughed slightly, to dispel the tension that had suddenly sprung up between them.   
  
Harry turned to her, with a serious, questing look. "You really think so?"  
  
She turned to him, stunned by the sudden seriousness in him and mesmerized by the look in his eyes. "You don't think it would be funny?" she asked in a quiet voice.  
  
He swallowed. "Well, it would be worth a try. I mean, what could it hurt?" Then, he added jokingly: "Anything to break the curse, right?"   
  
She looked at him as if with new eyes, inclining her head slightly to one side. "Right."   
  
He let his gaze sweep over the dancefloor, coming to a decision. Then he stood up and turned to Ginny, holding out a hand to her. "Wanna dance?"   
  
She looked at him searchingly for a moment more, coming to a decision herself. Then a small grin sneaked onto her face. "I'd love to."   
  
She put her hand in his and followed him to the dancefloor, their hands intertwining.   
  
This sure felt nice.


End file.
